After firmly establishing itself in the 160cc segment with motorcycles such as the Honda Unicorn 160 and the recently launched BS6 compliant Hond X-Blade, Honda might be planning to bring a new contender in the two-wheeler market, to be specific in the 200cc segment where the brand currently does not have a motorcycle in its portfolio.
According to a media report, the brand might be planning to bring the Honda CBF 190R to take on competition such as the Hero Xtreme 200R, TVS Apache 200 4V and the Bajaj Pulsar 200NS. It is important to note that the Japanese auto major already has the CBF 190R for sale in the international market, but the brand might make some changes to the international spec motorcycle to offer it at a competitive price.
The Honda CBF 190R is a naked motorcycle built around the City Biking design language but gets aggressive styling of a naked streetfighter. In the international market, the Honda CB190R features a low slung and sharp LED headlamp unit with aero inspired headlight shrouds, a pod styled instruments console in LCD, upside-down front fork suspension, angular fuel tank, boomerang-shaped tank cowlings, scooped seats, clip-on style handlebars, a sharp tail lamp and an upswept exhaust. But the India-spec model may not get the upside-down forks to keep the price in check.
In Latin America, the Honda CBF 190R is powered by a 184.4cc air-cooled single-cylinder fuel-injected engine that produces 15.8 hp of power and 15.3 Nm of torque matched to a 5-speed constant mesh gearbox. The India-spec model is expected to be tuned to produce more power to closely compete with the competition and of course, come with BS6 emission compliance.
It is also likely that Honda will market the CBF 190R under the Hornet brand and it is too early to comment on its pricing as well, but to put things into perspective the Honda X-Blade BS6 has been priced starting at INR 1,05,325 ex-showroom, the Honda CBF 190R which could also be called the Hornet 200R is expected to demand a premium.
